So after the brief, and hard to fathom, six-day sabbatical, the summer transfer window has re-opened for business.
I use the word business in the loosest possible terms where West Ham are concerned because as we’ve been told regularly and repeatedly by those who speak on behalf of our Chairman, there will be no business, certainly incoming, before deals are done for players leaving the club this summer.That directive, quoting a barely disguised ‘top source’ has not unsurprisingly infuriated our increasingly restless fanbase, desperate for the much-needed rebuilding of Graham Potter’s squad to begin.
Correct me if I’m wrong here, but that message of us being ‘skint’ - devoid of any ready cash and unable (or unwilling) to spend before we sell - has been out there for weeks.
Apparently our fiscal position is such that despite our wage bill being reduced significantly when four senior players, Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Lukas Fabianski and Danny Ings walk away at the end of the month, that alone is not enough to release any kind of funding for new arrivals.
We might not like it – but that was the Chairman’s message, loud and clear. Although now it seems a new reason for the lack of transfer activity is being offered up to us.
Far be it for the cynic in me to see this as a desperate way to dodge the growing fury – but a finger, and you can make your own guesses as to whose finger – is being pointed at Karl Macaulay.
A few weeks ago it was being aimed at Potter with the convenient revelation he had made personal phone calls to two of the players we had apparently been tracking, both of whom would be free agents this summer – Jonathan David and Angel Gomes.
Desirable targets, but Potter was unable to convince either of them to buy into his project for next season we were told. Now it appears that same finger is being pointed in Macaulay’s direction as a reason for our lack of transfer action - with suggestions his ‘rookie’ status is hampering our search.
There in black and white on a particular ‘loyalist’ site we were informed Potter has never personally ‘negotiated’ transfers before. He was head coach with both Brighton and Chelsea with others doing the negotiating for him.
Macaulay is similarly new to his current role, having been the data analysist at Chelsea - but was given a glowing endorsement by his friend Potter and recommended for promotion to a more senior role in player recruitment.
We were also reminded the club paid £1m in compensation to the west Londoners to secure Macaulay’s services (and we all know how Sullivan hates paying compo!) so Macaulay owes us big time, was the obvious implication.
Apparently, after scrapping the initial plan not to use agents (Sully must have been beside himself at that thought) a preferred agent was settled on who has now begun to make initial contacts. With Potter personally phoning players.
Unfortunately, or so we’ve been told, that strategy has only had the effect of said players actually, and openly, rejecting any possible move to the club. As indictments go, not exactly in the glowing category for our head coach.
It’s common knowledge Sullivan had his nose put out of joint when Potter refused to accept a six-month temporary contract back in January, and instead negotiated a two-and-a-half year deal with Karren Brady.
Still brooding no doubt, our well-known insider let it be known if a six-month contract had been in place, based on performances before our final flourish took us up to 14th in the league, there was every likelihood Potter would have been sent packing.
In the same way David Moyes was dispatched after his first spell with us, no doubt!
Supposedly Potter was promised backing in the transfer market when he signed his deal – it’s not clear if at that stage he was also informed he’d get nowt until he’d cashed in on a few assets.
In previous interviews Potter has made it known he believes there is more to management than simply spending money. Bringing in lesser known players and developing them before selling them on, as he did so successfully at Brighton with Marc Cucurella (sold for £55m), Ben White (sold for £50m), Yves Bissouma (sold for £30m) and Moises Caicedo (sold for £100m).
At Chelsea it was different. The club’s culture to buy and buy big didn’t suit him - and he paid the price.
Now Potter, along with Macaulay find themselves under attack in a whole new ball game. Both strike me as men who aren’t fazed easily. Potter in particular comes across as focused, determined to do things his way.
I believe despite the unwanted distractions provided by our leader and his cohorts, Potter is more than capable of reshaping and rebuilding the mish-mash of a team he inherited after the Lopetegui debacle. How he does it and just what that team will look like when September comes around we can only guess.
What is certain though is that we should expect a lot more squirming and finger-pointing until then in reaction to ever-growing discontent amongst the fanbase. But when you’ve lived alongside a circus like ours, with a ringmaster like no other, nothing should surprise us.
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